CEI Daily Update
Issues in the News
1. AUTOMOBILITY
Anti-car activist prepare to celebrate “World Car-Free Day.”
CEI Expert Available to Comment: General Counsel Sam Kazman on the limitations of a car-free lifestyle:
“While a car-free lifestyle might be perfect for some, it would be pure misery for many others—among them the handicapped, the elderly, parents carrying infants, people lugging groceries, and suburban residents getting to work. And the car-free lifestyle itself depends for its existence on other motorized vehicles, which deliver everything from organic flour to the ingredients for lattes.”
2. BUSINESS
Congress considers raising taxes on private equity firms, hedge funds and venture capitalists.
CEI Expert Available to Comment: Center for Entrepreneurship Director John Berlau on the likely impact of such a tax hike:
“The current bill in the U.S. House of Representatives that is often described as taxing the ‘carried interest’ of private equity firms would actually hike taxes on a broad array of other businesses — big and small — that are structured as partnerships. The bill would also add layers of complexity to partnership taxation and, in some cases, directly raise taxes on stockholders in public firms.”
3. HEALTH
Employers consider using genetic testing to weed out bogus disability claims and insurance fraud.
CEI Expert Available to Comment: Senior Fellow Gregory Conko on concerns about insurance companies and “genetic discrimination.”
“Despite public perceptions, there is no strong evidence that genetic discrimination is currently a widespread problem, or that it is likely to become so in the future. Numerous investigations into actual underwriting practices show that neither health nor life insurers currently engage in such practices.”
Blog feature: For more news and analysis, updated throughout the day, visit CEI’s blog, Open Market.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
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